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Hive Box Manufacture

I am looking to start building my own langstroth hive boxes. I am looking to see if anyone know of the best way to cut the finger joints on the end of the boxes? If there is a machine that is made to do that please let me know where. I would rather not have to do one at a time on my tablesaw. Just looking for help. Thank you all.

Re: Hive Box Manufacture

Does anyone know the origin of finger joints for hive boxes? Do they serve any useful purpose? It seems to me that they expose an enormous amount of endgrain to the elements and create a lot of crevices for moisture to penetrate into the wood. I don't use them for my home-made boxes and I have had no issues with durability or strength. Am I missing something?

Re: Hive Box Manufacture

Box joints have been around since roman times, I think. Prior to the introduction of synthetic glues in the 1930's and 1940's, the only substantial joint for boxes was a box joint -- it's the only one that holds indefinitely when dry nailed and pried on at the corners (bee hives).

That said, I found some pictures the other day from my Grandpa's apiary in 1950. He used butt or single rabbet boxes and the ones I saw looked pretty good. Kept them well painted, too, and I'm sure he didn't use glue ( too poor for anything fancy like that). I don't know how well they lasted for him, he quit beekeeping in about 1965 or so.

Box joints are superior for one simple reason - any vertical force on the end of one side of the box is transmitted to the rest of the box, particularly the adjoining board, by the wood itself where the "fingers" interlock. All other joints transfer forces through the fasteners (nails, screws, glue). If the joint every works loose for any reason, only the box joint will stay together in use, all the rest will open up.

If you don't believe me, try to take a nailed box joint apart without pulling the nails.

Re: Hive Box Manufacture

Originally Posted by psfred

That said, I found some pictures the other day from my Grandpa's apiary in 1950. He used butt or single rabbet boxes and the ones I saw looked pretty good. Kept them well painted, too, and I'm sure he didn't use glue ( too poor for anything fancy like that). I don't know how well they lasted for him, he quit beekeeping in about 1965 or so.

Box joints are superior for one simple reason - any vertical force on the end of one side of the box is transmitted to the rest of the box, particularly the adjoining board, by the wood itself where the "fingers" interlock. All other joints transfer forces through the fasteners (nails, screws, glue). If the joint every works loose for any reason, only the box joint will stay together in use, all the rest will open up.

If you don't believe me, try to take a nailed box joint apart without pulling the nails.

Peter

I'm not disagreeing with any of psfred's post but using it to frame a few thoughts of my own:

I find, amongst the oldest of my boxes -and some are old the ones which have endured time the best are those with simple butt-joints; still very solid. They're followed by the finger-joint boxes. The least successful always appear to me to be the ones with rebated (rabbet) joints.

My thinking here is, yes the box joints are probably far stronger in the short term but over the years they're more prone to water and trauma damage (remember that these boxes were built without glue so I can't judge whether that might have changed the outcome any). Likewise, the rebated boxes have that weakened point where material has been taken away; they often 'wobble' due to the amount of board that's been removed over the entire length of the joint (interestingly, I've seen these joints referred to by some UK beekeepers as the strongest of all.... they must be using much younger boxes than my examples!).

Just my thoughts based on observation of old boxes of the three kinds that have been in constant use, side by side, over a period of decades. When I build new boxes now, they get butt-joints.

Re: Hive Box Manufacture

> I consider this comment to be SPAM.

Well, perhaps you were not aware that the only members who can post in the Beesource For Sale forum are those who have paid a subscription to do so. I personally have no problem with the funds to keep Beesource online coming from members who have something for sale!

Mr Korschgen even discloses in his post that the link he provided is to the For Sale forum.

Re: Hive Box Manufacture

Not to mention I watched his video and it's a pretty cool system. I'm no woodworker so maybe I'm just easily impressed, but it looked to me like with that even I could make box joints. I don't know if it's worth $185 plus 10$ handling, plus shipping, but then again I don't know what a good Jig costs. I guess if I found a great local source for wood and was going to make a ton of boxes that would be the way for me to go. Then again I'd still probably screw it up. LOL
Rod